Benjamin C. "Ben" Stansel

Benjamin C. "Ben" Stansel, 84, of Cleveland, passed peacefully to his heavenly home on the morning of August 10, surrounded by family and friends. Ben was known throughout the community, and by many outside, as a gentle, sweet man, who loved to greet everyone he knew with a smile and a handshake or a hug.

Ben was born on December 16, 1940 to Charles and Sara Stansel in Lumberton, North Carolina. He spent his young life working on the family's Allenton farm picking tobacco, helping with his father's truck driving business, and playing football for Lumberton High School.

Ben attended North Carolina State University, where he earned his Forestry Degree. After graduating in 1962, he married his high school sweetheart, Annette Schuyler. Together, they spent 61 incredible years together until her passing in 2023.

Ben's career with the U. S. Forest Service began shortly after, and he and his growing family moved throughout the southeastern region. In 1979, he accepted a position at the Cherokee National Forest office in Cleveland, Tennessee, and he and Annette quickly decided to make Cleveland their permanent home. During his career, and even into retirement, Ben loved to work on fire details, and disaster details all over the United States. Two that he was especially proud of were the Yellowstone Fires and the Space Shuttle Columbia recovery.

During his retirement years, Ben loved to help others by volunteering his time, including ten years with the Cleveland Police Department on the public service unit. In addition, he loved working out at the YMCA, attending sporting events at the local high schools and at Lee University, where he always seemed to make new friends. He also loved fishing and gardening, and was always eager to share his abundance of tomatoes with friends and neighbors. Ben loved to travel with his wife, friends, and family. He visited every U.S. state, six of the seven continents, and sailed on three of the four oceans. Though the destinations were great, Ben enjoyed sharing the journey with his loved ones.

Since arriving in Cleveland, Ben was a faithful member of Wesley Memorial Church and the Joy Sunday School class. Over the years, Ben served as an usher and as a member of most of the church committees, at one time or another. He also worked on the landscaping team and with the Sack Pack program. Ben loved the church and Jesus, and was willing to share the Good News with anyone in order to bring them to salvation.

In addition to his wife, parents and grandparents, Ben was preceded in death by his two bothers, Ronnie and John Stansel.

He is survived by one sister, Mary Ruth (O'Neal) Pittman of Liberty, MO; sisters-in-law, Linda Stansel of Lumberton, NC and Joyce (Art) Geaslan of Ayden, NC; children, Jim (Christy) Stansel of Cleveland, Pam (Mike) McMillan and Amy Glenn, both of Thompson's Station, TN; grandchildren, Zack (Sierra) McMillan of Amarillo, TX, Amanda (Donovan) Levenhagen of Chattanooga, Wesley Glenn of Washington, DC, Steven (Alejandra) Stansel of Cleveland, Claire Glenn of Cincinnati, OH, and Allison McMillan of Knoxville. He also leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews and close friends, whom he dearly cherished.

The family would like to express a special thanks to the staff of Legacy Village of Cleveland and Hospice of Chattanooga for the very special care they provided over the past few months.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Ben's name to the Wesley Memorial Sack Pack program, the Cleveland Alzheimer's Walk (held this coming September in Cleveland), or to Hospice of Chattanooga.

Visitation will be from 10 AM - noon on Saturday, August 23, at Wesley Memorial Church in Cleveland. A Celebration of Life service will follow immediately after, officiated by the Rev. Ramon Torres and Dr. Chris Rouse.

You are invited to share a personal memory of Ben or your condolences with his family at his online memorial located at www.companionfunerals.com. Companion Funeral Home of Cleveland and the Cody family are honored to assist the family with these arrangements.